Flexible Work and Fatherhood - Meet Brian Bates
Brian J. Bates manages a busy agenda by scheduling time for both family and work.
Associate Brian Bates joined Booz Allen Hamilton in 2002 to provide performance measurement and monitoring services for cyber-security clients in the civil, defense, and commercial markets.
Brian has teleworked exclusively from his home office in Binghamton, New York since 2004—the same year he co-founded the Flex Work Forum, for which he served as co-chair and later as senior advisor to its leaders. He makes eight to ten overnight trips to the McLean campus each year to meet with his team and clients.
Booz Allen’s FlexWork Forum has been especially helpful in enabling Brian to maintain his schedule. It meets each month virtually in addition to scheduled events, which have included brown bags, guest speakers, and a presentation hosted by Brian and two of his co-workers called FlexWorking Fathers. They shared lessons learned and parental perspectives with dozens of their colleagues.
“The forum allows me to connect with others in the firm whom I would have never otherwise met,” he says. “The firm’s work/life policies and guidance have also provided me with a standard agreement and best practices to formalize my schedule.”
To prepare for the future, Brian recently created a 20-year plan for himself and his wife, five-year-old daughter, and two-year-old son. “It was both enlightening and scary to think that our kids will be starting college 13 and 16 years from now,” he says. “But I advise anyone who wants to start a family to maintain a solid, current plan for his or her professional career and personal life.
“Not everyone in business places the same value on family and the work/life balance, so you need to be patient with your career and continue to prove your value to your clients and teams,” he adds. “Both parents must be prepared to work long hours. A healthy and active lifestyle helps add balance and reduce stress.”
Although he’s a full-time flex worker, Brian says he needs to remind himself to switch off and spend time with his family. “One tip I learned from a senior associate who is also a father is to create a daily event on my calendar for Bates Family Time. In our house, it’s from 5:30 – 8pm. Formally reserving this time may seem unnecessary, but it’s been effective in ensuring we spend quality time together each day.
“Until you have kids of their own, you can’t fully understand a parent’s perspective,” he continues. “The time it takes to complete everything you need to and live the life you want is significant. The good and bad news is that life with kids is a blur, so sleep when you can and take lots of pictures!”
profile posted October 6, 2008
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